According to the PA Independent, the PA House Health Committee voted the Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act, HB 42, out of committee today.

The state House Health Committee passed a bill Monday to remove Pennsylvania from the individual mandate portion of the nation health care reform law with a party-line vote.

The bill, H.B. 42, would prohibit the government from enacting or adopting any law to penalize any individual, employer or health care provider for participating in a health care system of their choosing. Health Committee Chair Matthew Baker (R-Tioga), the bill’s sponsor, said it protects Pennsylvania citizens from potential federal penalties if they choose to ignore the individual mandate in the federal health care law passed last year.

“It protects a person’s right to participate, or not, in any health care system,” said Mr. Baker. “It provides a state-level defense against the federal government’s excessive power.”

The Tenth Amendment Center has released the Federal Health Care Nullification Act, which directly nullifies the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” on a state level. Click here to learn more about the bill. CLICK HERE to track the Nullification Act in states around the country.